For her Performa Commission, Shirin Neshat brings together great contemporary talents from Iran, including: Mohsen Namjoo, the acclaimed musician and vocalist; Mohammed B. Ghaffari, one the most respected Iranian actors and directors; Kambiz Hosseini, actor and powerful satirist of Parazit, known as John Stewart of Iran; and Shadi Yousefian, the wonderful singer from the band Eendo.

Written by the acclaimed artist and filmmaker Shoja Azari and Behrang Azari, the New York-based musician and writer, OverRuled begins with a seemingly trivial accusation takes place in a court of law, where the audience, imagination, and life, are on trial. The theocratic law seeks vengeance, while engulfed in absurdity of its own making, relying on the ensemble of military men who are vessels of its might. OverRuled soon moves into profound philosophical arguments derailing the underpinning of theocratic law and ending with the triumphant victory of art and imagination with the mesmerizing vocalization of Mohsen Namjoo.

OverRuled is the story of contemporary Iran under despotic rule and its trace through history to the time of Mansur Al-Hallaj, the great mystic who was dismembered by the limbs under the accusation of Heresy in 922 AD.

The set design is created by Neshat’s long time collaborator, visual artist Shahram Karimi.

THERE IS NO LATE SEATING FOR THE PERFORMANCE

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Supported by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, The Dedalus Foundation, and Performa Producers Circle members Olivia Douglas, the Farouki Family, and Gladstone Gallery, and Curators Circle member Frances Kazan. Created in part at the Watermill Center.